PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
RESERVE, LA - Meeting of February 3, 2011
The Chair called the meeting to order and read the following call:
HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD
Parish of St. John the Baptist
Dear Board Member:
Upon call of the President, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet in regular session at Grammar Cafeteria, 1600 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana, on Thursday, February 3, 2011, at 6:00 p.m.
An agenda for the meeting is attached.
Sincerely, s/Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D.
Superintendent/Secretary
The Chair called for a moment of silent meditation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS:
PRESENT: Messrs. Jack, Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Wise, Bacas, Nicholas, Triche, Sanders.
ABSENT: Keller.
There were 10 members present, 1 absent.
ITEM 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Meeting of January 13, 2011. A motion was made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Triche, to accept the minutes of January 13, 2011 as printed and published. There were no objections and the motion to approve the minutes carried (10 Yeas, 1 Absent).
ITEM 4. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D., Superintendent. Dr. Millet announced that Quinn Johnson, a 2004 graduate of West St. John High School, is a starting fullback for the Green Bay Packers and will participate in Super Bowl XLV this Sunday.
Dr. Millet reported the following:
Associated Terminals-Associated Efforts
In 1997, the employees of Associated Terminals forme
d a non-profit company named Associated Efforts with the objective of providing charitable assistance to persons or organizations in need. For the past 13 years, one of its primary accomplishments has been to provide Christmas presents for children and families. More than 400 children were surprised to receive new bicycles and helmets this Christmas as a result of Associated Terminal’s employees donating their time and money to the annual ”Digging for Kids” fund raiser. As a result of their team members ”digging deep” into their pockets, this year’s program delivered bicycles and helmets to 44 children in each of our elementary schools.
We are so grateful for their generosity. I would like to personally thank Mr. Travis Perry, who is here with us tonight. On behalf of St. John the Baptist Parish school board and school district employees, I express the utmost gratitude to you for bringing Christmas joy to so many students of St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools.
St. John Principals of the Year
For this year’s Principal of the Year competition, the State’s selection criteria changed from previous years. In order to be eligible for Principal of the Year, the principal had to minimally meet the following criteria:
Must be an active, participating principal with at least 3 years of experience in the role of principal
Must be able to show evidence of dramatic gains in student achievement by raising their School Performance Scores over the last 3 – 5 years
Must hold a valid Principal/Educational Leadership Certification
Must demonstrate evidence of Collaborative and Instructional Leadership
Must demonstrate evidence of Personalization
I am pleased to present St. John’s Principals of the Year. Mrs. Margaret Hastings, principal of Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School, is St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District’s Middle School Principal of the Year. Mrs. Hastings has been a principal for 4 years. She was chosen as Principal of the Year because of her consistent and dramatic gains in student achievement at Lake Pontchartrain. Over the past three years, her school’s School Performance Score has grown from a 69.6 to an 86.3 and then to a 92.7 this past year—a gain of 23.1 points! Mrs. Hastings was also rated as a proficient leader by her faculty.
Mrs. Hastings received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and her +30 in Principalship from Southeastern Louisiana University. Prior to becoming principal, she taught elementary school in St. Charles and St. John Parishes and served as an assistant principal in St. John Parish.
Mrs. Kelli Joseph, principal of Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School, has been named St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District’s Elementary School Principal of the year. Mrs. Joseph has been a principal at GMMS for 6 years. Under Mrs. Joseph’s guidance, Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School has seen consistent and dramatic gains in student achievement as evidenced by their School Performance Scores. Over the past three years, the school’s scores have grown from 76.1 to 80.5 to 92.6—a gain of 16.5 points! Mrs. Joseph was also rated as a distinguished leader by her faculty.
Mrs. Joseph received her Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Social Studies Education from Southern University and her Master of Education in Administration/Supervision from Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU). She is currently working on her Doctorate of Educational Leadership at SLU. Prior to becoming principal, Mrs. Joseph was a social studies teacher in St. John and St. James Parishes and an assistant principal in St. John Parish.
These two ladies’ portfolios have been sent to the state where they will be competing with principals from across the state for the Louisiana Middle School and Elementary School Principal of the Year.
St. John Students of the Year
Each school in the district chose a student to represent the school based on the state’s Student of the Year criteria. The school winners then competed at the parish level using the same criteria. Fifth grade criteria included (1) a portfolio of activities, community service, and recognitions, (2) a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher for 3rd through 5th grades, (3) an impromptu writing sample, and (4) an interview. Eighth grade criteria were similar to that of 5th grade; however, leadership was added to the portfolio and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher for grades 6, 7, and 8. The 12th grade criteria included the portfolio (illustrating school involvement, community involvement, and recognitions), a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher for 9th through 12th grades, an impromptu writing sample, and the interview.
Individual school winners include the following:
5th Grade School-Level Student of the Year Winners
East St. John Elementary DeI’Ray Ceaser
Emily C. Watkins Elementary Hoa Nguyen
Fifth Ward Elementary Dominique Fultz
Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet Lauryn Scott
John L. Ory Magnet Brian Price
LaPlace Elementary Jhajuan Countee
West St. John Elementary Glasia Walker
8th Grade School-Level Student of the Year Winners
East St. John Elementary Joe’Kur Jones
Fifth Ward Elementary DeQuan Anderson
Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet Amanda Duhe
John L. Ory Magnet Angelliot Thomas
LaPlace Elementary Kayla Ceaser
West St. John High School Michael Sanders
12th Grade School-Level Student of the Year Winners
West St. John High Jordan Triche
I’d like to present our District Students of the Year:
St. John’s 5th Grade Student of the Year is Corey Samuel from Lake Pontchartrain Elementary. Corey is the son of Javonna Rayfield and Corey Samuel, Sr. He has a cumulative GPA of 3.66 and scored three Mastery scores and one Basic score on the four sections of the 4th grade LEAP. Corey likes to sing, dance, and act. He is a bass drummer on LPE’s drumline and a peer tutor at the school. Corey has been recognized for being on the Honor Roll every year and has received awards for reading, good behavior, and good character. His future aspirations include becoming an actor, singer, or dancer.
St. John’s 8th Grade Student of the Year is Aubrey Stewart from Lake Pontchartrain Elementary. Aubrey is the son of Sylvia McGarry and Larry Stewart and stepson of Torian Wells, Sr. He has a cumulative GPA of 3.92 and scored three Advanced scores and one Mastery score on the four sections of the seventh grade iLEAP. He is president of the school’s Jr. Beta Club, senator in the school’s Student Council, and manager of the school’s basketball team. His recognitions and awards include Honor Roll, 2nd place at the District Spelling Bee, and Student of the Month. Aubrey aspires to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics, scientology, anatomy, and psychology. He hopes to attend Harvard University.
St. John’s 12th Grade Student of the Year is Sean Thomas from East St. John High School. Sean is the son of Angelia and Elliot Thomas. He has a cumulative GPA of 4.03 and scored two Advanced and two Mastery scores on the GEE; he has a perfect score of 500 on the mathematics portion of the GEE. He has also scored a composite of 31 on the ACT, representing the highest ACT score in the parish this year. Sean is the vice-president of the Beta Club, team captain of the ESJH basketball team, a mentor in the Ignition Program, and a member of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). He was a Certified Student Tax-Preparer for the IRS and performed community service by working after school to help citizens prepare their taxes. Sean placed first in State in Business Calculations and represented Louisiana at the National FBLA Conference. He received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the National Merit Program. He has also been recognized as a "Distinguished Young Man of Leadership," "Young Man of Honor," and "National Young Leader" by various organizations. Sean is planning to enter the medical field in order to become a doctor; because of his outstanding academics and test scores, Sean has received letters of invitation or acceptance to many of our country’s finest institutions including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, and Columbia.
Dr. Millet shared videos with the audience of the Principals of the Year and the District Students of the Year. Mrs. Joseph and Mrs. Hastings thanked Dr. Millet, the Board, their faculties & staff, and their students.
Dr. Millet thanked Ms. Heidi Trosclair for hosting our Student of the Year contest.
Mr. Sanders congratulated the Principals of the Year, all Students of the Year and especially their parents.
The Chair declared a recess at 6:38 p.m.
A motion was made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mrs. DeFrancesch, to reconvene in regular session. There were no objections and the meeting reconvened in regular session at 6:50 p.m.
ITEM 5. EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS BY THE BOARD OR STAFF.
ITEM 6. PERSONNEL MATTERS: Dr. Leigh Ann Beard, Director of Human Resources.
Personnel Changes (Requires action by the Board)
I. PROFESSIONAL
A. New Hires
Cindy Coffey, Special Ed Teacher - East St. John High Elementary, February 7, 2011
Ryan Meyer, Teacher - East St. John High, February 7, 2011
B. Retirement
Jacquline Forest, Principal - St. John Child Development Center, January 12, 2011
Rosemary Jones, Teacher - Leon Godchaux Accelerated Program, February 7, 2011
C. Sabbatical
Douglass Lawson, Social Worker – Milesville, Spring 2011
D. Resignation
Renee Hartley, Master Teacher - East St. John High, January 25, 2011
II. CLASSIFIED
A. Extended Sick Leave
Antrell Vangure, Lunch Tech, East St. John High, Dec. 20, 2010 – Feb. 3, 2011
Alyce Richardson, Lunch Tech, GMMS, January 10 - April 11, 2011
Doris Poindexter, Paraprofessional - LaPlace Elementary, February 1 - May 6, 2011
B. Retirement
Dale P. Cambre, Bus Driver – Transportation, January 10, 2011
A motion was made by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Jack, to approve the Personnel Changes as presented. There were no objections and the motion carried (10 Yeas, 1 Absent).
ITEM 7a. BUSINESS AND FINANCE: Mr. Felix Boughton, Executive Director of Business and Finance
a. Request Board adoption of revised school rental policy. This item was carried over to the February 17, 2011 meeting.
b. CSRS – Request board approval to award contract to apparent responsible low bidder for the Child Development Center General Renovations Project contingent upon low bidder meeting all LA Public Bid Law and Contract Document Requirements.
Mr. Luster stated that Regal Construction, LLC of LaPlace, LA, was the low bidder with a base bid of $497,900.
A motion was made by Mr. Burl, seconded by Mr. Bacas, to award the contract to Regal Construction LLC, of LaPlace, LA for the Child Development Center General Renovations Project for a base bid of $497,900. There were no objections and the motion carried (10Yeas, 1 Absent).
Mr. Luster advised the board that a flyer would be brought to the homes surrounding LaPlace Elementary informing the homeowners of upcoming construction work.
ITEM 8. OLD BUSINESS. a. None.
ITEM 9. NEW BUSINESS. a. Mr. Lloyd LeBlanc – None.
ITEM 10. ADMINSTRATIVE MATTERS: a. Committee Reports. None.
ITEM 11. BOARD-RELATED ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Mr. Wise stated that he was contacted by Mr. Charlie Duhon. Mr. Duhon had noticed many children waiting for busses without jackets or sweatshirts. Mr. Wise stated that Mr. Duhon had formed a 503 Organization, called Warm a Child’s Heart and was asking board members to donate to this very worthy cause. Mr. Sanders asked Mr. Wise to forward any information to Mrs. Stacey Waller and she could forward the information to all board members via e-mail.
Mr. Sanders stated that it had been brought to his attention that the S.J.A.E. has several grievances that need to be brought before the Board and asked if the Board would be willing to hear these grievances following the next Board meeting. Following discussion, Mr. Sanders stated that he would discuss this with the Superintendent and get in touch with the S.J.A.E. once a date is decided.
Rev. Nicholas asked for an update on the ESJH Head Coach position. In the absence of the Personnel Director, Dr. Leigh Ann Beard, Dr. Millet read the following letter, dated February 1, 2011:
Today, Dr. Courtney Millet, Mr. Herbert Smith, Mr. Lloyd LeBlanc, and I pulled community member nominations for the Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Interview Committee. The following names were drawn:
Diedra Alexis – District Number 10 – Rodney Nicholas
Herbert Carter – District Number 2 – Albert Burl, III
An alternate name was drawn if it becomes necessary to have an alternate: Richard ”Dickey” Lyons – District Number 8 – Russ Wise.
All community member nominations and the alternate will be contacted as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
/s/ Leigh Ann Beard, Ph.D.
Rev. Nicholas asked that an item be added to the agenda of the next board meeting concerning bus drivers and their concerns with parking. Mr. Sanders stated that bus drivers should contact administration regarding their concerns. Dr. Millet requested that the drivers contact Mr. Smith and Mr. Owens with these concerns.
ITEM 12. ADJOURNMENT: The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, Mr. Bacas offered a motion for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Nicholas. There were no objections. The meeting adjourned at 7:01 p.m.
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Patrick H. Sanders, President
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Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D., Secretary